ORLANDO – The Florida Network of Youth and Family Services honored staff and volunteers for their work with runaway, homeless and troubled teens at a luncheon Sept. 29 at their annual conference, whose theme was “FOCUS 2011 – Getting to the Heart of the Matter.”

The awardees have shown exceptional dedication and commitment to youth and their families. The award categories included volunteers, board members, youth care workers, managers, counselors, and leader and agency of the year.

The Florida Network, a nonprofit association of agencies serving runaways, truants and other troubled youth, has been providing intervention services and keeping troubled youth out of the costly juvenile justice system for more than 35 years.

The winner of the Florida Network 2011 Leader of the Year Award is Beth Deck, Lutheran Services Florida Northwest Regional Director in Pensacola.

This award goes to an agency leader who as a member of the association is an advocate for all of Florida’s youth, a visionary, a motivator, a guiding hand, a catalyst for change, a community servant, and a person who possesses a tireless commitment to improving the future of our youth.

Her nomination reads in part:

“Beth Deck recently celebrated her twenty-year anniversary with LSF. She leads her management team with a strong example of honesty, integrity and ‘black tie’ quality in everything she does. While she is the master at multi-tasking and wears many hats, she is the same person to everyone she meets. She is patient, kind and compassionate to all. Beth will tell anyone that her favorite part of her job is when she gets to spend time with the youth. She has spent countless hours listening to broken hearts and calming wounded spirits. Beth is a tireless advocate for the Florida Network, LSF and the youth and families that we serve.”

Beth, Northwest Regional Director since 2001 and an LSF employee since 1991, oversees a number of programs serving at-risk youth in Northwest Florida.

• Two youth shelters, Currie House in Pensacola and HOPE House in Crestview, offer short-term residential housing for runaways and troubled youth ages 10-17. The shelters also serve as National Safe Place havens.

• The CINS/FINS Program (Children In Need of Services/Families In Need of Services) provides both residential and non-residential crisis counseling for troubled youth and their families. Centers in Pensacola, Crestview, Fort Walton Beach and Milton provide individual and family counseling.

• The Sexual/Physical Abuse Treatment Program in Pensacola helps children ages 2-17 who have been sexually or physically abused. Treatment includes group, family and individual counseling.

• Teen Court in Crestview, Fort Walton Beach and Milton allows first-time youth offenders ages 10-17 to appear before a jury of their peers for sentencing and sanctions. Offenses are limited to misdemeanors, traffic violations or school infractions that could lead to a misdemeanor charge.

These programs serve more than 1,500 youth each year. In the 20 years Beth has been with LSF, she has had an impact on tens of thousands of young lives.

Lutheran Services Florida is a statewide, nonprofit human services agency dedicated to helping all people in need regardless of religious affiliation, age or national origin. Headquartered in Tampa, the agency has more than 60 programs located throughout Florida. Since it was established in 1982, LSF has helped more than 850,000 children and families. LSF’s mission is to bring God’s healing, hope and help to people in need.

PHOTO ABOVE: Beth Deck holds her Florida Network 2011 Leader of the Year Award. Shown with her are Northwest Region staff members Jessica Mayo (from left), Sherri Swann and Jamie Cochran.